Portable rescue apparatus



1968 y L. c. KOSSUTH 3,

PORTABLE RESCUE APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20, 1966 INVENTOR.

LOUIS C. KOSSUTH United States Patent 3,363,269 PORTABLE RESCUE APPARATUS Louis C. Kossuth, Colorado Springs, olo. (HQ ADC ENT AF Base, El Paso County, Colo. 80912) Filed Sept. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 580,629 7 Claims. (Cl. 81)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A rescue apparatus enables the body of an injured person to be removed from the location at which the injury occurred by a remotely located rescuer. The rescue apparatus includes an elongate base so dimensioned as to completely underlie a human body with one end of the base adapted to be positioned beneath portions of the injured persons body. The base includes a flat upper surface of low frictional resistance. Flexible human body engaging means adapted to at least substantially surround and releasably engage the body are provided. The body engaging means is connected with selectively operable moving means mounted on the upper longitudinal end of the base for moving the human body engaging means and the human body engaged thereby, longitudinally of the upper surface of the base. Grasping means operatively connected to the base positioned near the moving means are adapted to be grasped by the rescuer to prevent movement of the base away from the rescuer upon operation of the moving means.

This invention relates to a portable rescue apparatus used to move an injured person from the location at which the injury occurred.

In aiding a person incapacitated by injury or the like, it is often necessary at some stage to move his body from the location at which the injury occurred. One common way of moving the injured person is for a number of rescuers to take hold of his body and transfer him manually to a stretcher or the like. However, movement of the injured person in this way may prove disastrous for a number of reasons.

For example, in situations in which only one or two rescuers are available at the location of the injured person, as may occur in unfrequented locations or those of restricted accessibility, it may not be possible for the injured person to be gripped at a sufiicient number of points to provide adequately distributed support for his body. Such lack of distributed support may permit further twisting and bending of his body during movement sufficient to cause serious aggravation of the original inuries. This difliculty is encountered in a particularly acute form in the numerous situations in which the injured person is initially positioned in a location of restricted accessibility, such as the interior of a damaged vehicle, beneath fallen masonry, or partially immersed in water.

Another serious problem may arise in such circumstances if the degree of exertion required to move the injured person from his initial location is beyond the physical capacity of the limited number of rescuers available.

Problems of this nature have stimulated interest in the provision of a rescue apparatus capable of permitting an injured person to be removed from the location of his injury with a minimum of bodily disturbance by even a single rescuer. Other desirable characteristics of a rescue apparatus are that it should be portable, as injured persons are sometimes located in places accessible only to a rescuer on foot, and that it should be adjustable to enable the injured person to be removed from positions of differing aspect relative to the rescuer.

Patented Jan. 16, 1968 In recognition of the need for a rescue apparatus of the type described, it is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a rescue apparatus particularly suitable -for removing the body of an injured person from the location at which his injury occurred.

It is another particular object of the invention to provide a rescue apparatus which facilitates removal of the body of an injured person from the location at which his injury occurred with minimum relative disturbance of his body members.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a rescue apparatus so constructed as to permit the body of an injured person to be removed from the situs of injury by a single rescuer with a minimum of exertion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rescue apparatus particularly suitable for removing a partially immersed person from a body of water.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a rescue apparatus of the type described which is particularly portable and maneuverable.

It is a final object of the invention to provide a rescue apparatus which may be changed in its configuration to permit injured persons to be removed with equal facility from locations of differing aspect relative to the rescuer.

These objects are accomplished in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention by a rescue apparatus enabling the body of an injured person to be removed from the location at which his injury occurred by a remotely-located rescuer. The rescue apparatus comprises an elongate base having one longitudinal end adapted to be positioned beneath a longitudinal end portion of the injured persons body. The base includes a flat upper surface. Body engaging means may be releasably engaged about parts of the injured persons body adjacent the longitudinal end thereof. Selectively operable moving means connected to the other longitudinal end of the base may be operated to move the body engaging means longitudinally onto and along the upper surface of the base. Grasping means connected to the base are adapted to be grasped by the rescuer to prevent movement of the base away from the rescuer upon operation of the moving means.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portable rescue apparatus according to the present invention, showing the apparatus used to remove an injured person from an inverted automobile;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a support frame forming a part of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a body engagingharness forming a part of the present invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the portable rescue apparatus according to the present invention, showing the apparatus in use for removing a partially immersed person from a body of water.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a rescue apparatus according to the present invention is shown being utilized by a rescuer 2 to remove an injured person 4 from a location of restricted accessibility, such as an inverted automobile 6. The invention includes a horizontally disposed, elongate base 8. The base 8 in the preferred embodiment comprises a wooden board having a very highly waxed upper surface to provide a low friction surface along which the injured persons body may be slid with a minimum of effort. A rear extremity 10 of the base 8 is slid beneath the shoulders of the injured person 4. The base 8 adjacent its forward end is supported vertically by a generally rectangular, open, support frame 12 resting at its lower end on the ground. The rescuer 2 grasps the frame 12 adjacent its upper end with one hand and braces one foot against a foot rod 14 adjacent the lower end of the frame 12 to steady the base 8 in position. A body harness 16 passing over the injured persons chest and beneath his armpits is connected by a cable 18 to a hand-operated rotary Winch 20 secured to the forward end of the base 8 on the upper surface. The'winch is geared down so that the operator may wind the cable onto the winch to haul the injured person longitudinally along the board 8 slowly and with a minimum of exertion. As the winch 20 is operated, any tendency of the board to move away from the rescuer is resisted by the holding forces exerted by him on the upper and lower ends of the support frame 12.

It will be appreciated that as the body slides onto the board it is continuously supported against gravity by the board so that disturbances of the body in its lifting and supporting motions are minimized. At the same time, the use of the body harness to apply a single translational force to the body minimizes the disturbance involved in moving the body outwardly of the restricted initial location.

Referring in more detail to FIGURE 2, the frame 12 includes a laterally extending top cross rod 22rotatably secured to the underside of the base 8 adjacent the forward end thereof by two laterally spaced brackets 24. Fixedly secured to each lateral end of the cross rod 22 is a T piece 26 provided with a vertically extending aperture. Slidably received in each of the T pieces 26 is one of two laterally opposed, coextensive, vertically extending side rods 28. The side rods 28 are provided with vertically spaced, diametrical apertures 30. Locating pins 32 may be passed through the apertures 30 and through suitably located diametrical apertures in each of the T pieces 26 so as to permit the base 8 to be located at differing vertical positions on and relative to the side rods 28.

The previously-mentioned foot rod 14 has its lateral extremities secured to the side rods 28 adjacent and spaced from the lower extremities thereof. The lower portions of the side rods 28, extending downwardly of the foot rod 14, are provided with downwardly flared bases 34 adapted to rest on the ground.

In use, pressure of the rescuers foot on the foot rod 14 not only steadies the frame 12 vertically but also increases its frictional engagement with the ground so that any tendency of the board 8 to move away from the rescuer toward the injured person caused by operation of the winch 20 is resisted by the frame 12 engaged at its bases 34 with the ground and grasped at its upper end by the rescuers'hand.

It will be seen that the rotatable mounting of the board 7 8 on the cross rod 22 and the vertical adjustment of the cross rod 22 by means of the pins 32 permit the configuration of the rescue apparatus to be respectively adjusted both in inclination and vertical elevation, thus permitting the apparatus to be used for removing injured persons from locations of differing aspect relative to the rescuer.

The previously-mentioned rotary winch 20 is provided with a cranked handle 34 rotatable about a horizontal axis. In order to permit the handle to be rotated fully about the axis of the winch, a rectangular cut-out portion 36 is provided in the forward end of the board 8 in the area traversed by rotation of the handle 34.

The previously-mentioned body harness 16 (FIGURE 3) includes a metal triangular collar 40 connected to the cable 18 by a knot 42. The free rearward extremity of the cable 18 is provided with a metal clasp 44 releasably engageable with the collar 49. In an engaged position of the clasp 44, the end of the cable 18 defines a closed loop 46 of sufiicient peripheral length to extend 'over the chest of the injured person and underneath his armpits. However, the peripheral length of the loop 46 may be varied by changing the point at which the cable 18 is knotted to the collar 40 in order to enable the cable to be attached to other portions of the injured person, such as his feet, if this should be necessary.

Padded sleeves 48 are providedabout the portions of the loop 46 underlying the injured persons armpits.

One application, shown in FIGURE 4, for which the present invention is particularly suitable is that of removing partially immersed persons from bodies of water. For this purpose the base 8 as previously mentioned is formed from a buoyant material, such as wood, which assists in supporting the person in a floating position in the Water. The rescuer 2, seated in a boat 50, balances his Weight on that side of the boat remote from the injured person While holding onto the frame 12, during winching-in of the body.

In utilizing a rescue apparatus constructed in accordance to the present invention, it Will be seen that an injured person may be removed from the location at which his injury occurred with a minimum of bodily disturbance. Particular advantages are provided by the slippery, flat upper surface of the board which provides continuous distributed support for the body as it is slid ontothe,

base and at the same time minimizes the frictional forces resisting movement of the body from its initial location. Additionally, it will be seen that the use of the geared down winch provides a mechanical advantage which permits a single operator to remove the injured person with a minimum of exertion. In this connection, the vertical support frame 12 offers additional advantages in that it relieves the rescuer of the need to support the major part of the weight of the injured person. Additionally, the simple structure of the apparatus permits it to be portable by a single rescuer in areas where vehicular access to the injured person is not possible.

Other advantages are provided by the method of mounting the base to the support frame which permits the configuration of the rescue apparatus to be changed to accommodate for the removal of injured persons presented in differing aspects to the rescuer.

A particularly significant advantage is provided by the buoyant nature of the material used for the base which aflfo'rds considerable support to a person lying partially immersed in a body of water.

Although the invention is described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that additions, deletions, modifications, substitutions and other changes not specifically described and illustrated in the preferred embodiment may be made which will fall within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

.1. A rescue apparatus for enabling'the body 'of an injured person to be removed from the location at which the injury occurred by a remotelydocated rescuer, the rescue apparatus comprising:

an elongate base dimensioned so as. to completely underlie a human body having one longitudinal end adapted to be positioned beneath portions of the injured persons body, said base further including'a fiat upper surface of low frictional resistance; flexible human body engaging means adapted to at least substantially surround and releasably engage the body; selectively operable moving means mounted on the other longitudinal end of said base for moving said human body engaging means and a human body engaged thereby, longitudinally of said upper surface of said base; and grasping means operatively connected to said base positioned near said moving means adapted to be grasped by the'rescuer to prevent movement of said base away from the rescuer upon operation of said mov-. ing means. a 2. A rescue apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said grasping means further includes: 7

vertically extending support means for supporting said other end of said base in relation to a common surrescuer.

3. A rescue apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said support means includes a lower portion adapted to be contacted by one of the rescuers feet, and an upper portion adapted to be grasped by one of the rescuers hands.

4. A rescue apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said support means is adjustable to selectively vary the relative vertical position of said other end of said base relative to the rescuer.

5. A rescue apparatus in accordance to claim 1 wherein said grasping means comprises:

a vertically extending frame, said frame including:

an upper cross rod rotatably mounted on and laterally spanning the underside of said base;

a collar secured to each lateral extremity of said upper cross rod, each said collar having a vertically extending passageway therethrough;

two laterally spaced, coextensive, generally vertical side rods, each said side rod slidably mounted Within and extending through the passageway in one of said collars;

means for engaging said collars with said side rods at each of a plurality of vertically spaced positions on said side rods; and

a lower cross rod secured at its opposed extremities to said side rods adjacent the lower ends thereof. 6. A rescue apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said moving means comprises: 5 a cable connected at one longitudinal extremity thereof to said body engaging means; and a hand-operated Winch mounted on the other end of said base and to said cable for Winding said cable longitudinally of said base. 7. A rescue apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said body engaging means comprises:

a free end portion of said cable at that extremity of the cable located remotely of said Winch; and means for releasably engaging the free extremity of said end portion with another portion of said cable to define a loop adapted to be secured about portions of the body adjacent one longitudinal end thereof.

References Cited 20 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,103,436 7/1914 Root 589 2,960,966 11/1960 Monson 119100 X 3,222,034 12/1965 Jackson 254139.1

25 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

